EasyJet passenger ordered to remove jacket in airport gate luggage dispute
A British holidaymaker has claimed she was instructed to take off her jacket at the boarding gate during a heated disagreement about hand luggage regulations. The incident occurred earlier this month on an easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Düsseldorf, Germany, where the passenger was embarking on a five-day vacation.
The initial hand luggage check
The tourist, who opted to save money by purchasing only an under-the-seat cabin bag for her short trip, documented her experience in a TikTok video that has since garnered over 2.1 million views. She explained that due to chilly UK weather, she wore a jacket and scarf to the airport. After passing through security, she removed her scarf while waiting at the boarding gate because it felt warm.
When she reached the front of the queue, she was asked to verify that her under-the-seat bag met the size requirements. The passenger happily placed it in easyJet's baggage sizer, and it fitted perfectly. However, a staff member then allegedly pointed out that her bag was not zipped up and instructed her to remove it, zip it closed, and measure it again. After complying, the bag still fit the gauge without issue.
The duty-free dilemma
The situation escalated when the easyJet employee reportedly informed her that her duty-free purchases—consisting of two miniatures from Boots and a bottle of water—had to fit inside her hand luggage bag. The passenger claimed she was told, "Anything you buy from duty-free has to fit into your carry-on hand luggage." This led to a brief argument about whether this rule was correct, after which she was sent away to repack her belongings.
In an effort to create space, the woman put her jumper and coat back on and packed her scarf into the hand luggage along with the duty-free items. She then rejoined the boarding queue, wearing a cardigan over her other layers.
The jacket removal demand
Upon returning, the passenger alleged that the same easyJet staff member immediately made eye contact and pulled her aside to re-measure her hand luggage. After some difficulty due to a poorly positioned hairbrush, she managed to fit the bag into the sizer. The staff member then allegedly walked away and ignored her for several minutes, leaving her uncertain if she could board.
With the gate about to close and other passengers boarding, the traveller asked if everything was okay. Another staff member confirmed she could proceed, but the original employee interjected, demanding, "Take your jacket off." When the passenger questioned this, the staff member repeated the command and added, "Unzip your jacket, now!" The holidaymaker complied, explaining she had put her jumper on because it was bulky in her bag and she thought it would free up space for the duty-free items.
Aftermath and apology
As she finally boarded the plane, the easyJet staff member allegedly called out to ask for her seat number and reminded her to place the bag under the seat in front, not in the overhead locker. Following the ordeal, the passenger discussed the incident with fellow travellers, expressing disbelief at being told to remove her jacket.
In response, easyJet issued a statement to the Mirror, saying, "We are sorry for her experience and so have been in touch to apologise and offer a gesture of goodwill." The airline has not provided further details on the specific policies regarding jackets or duty-free items during boarding procedures.
